Summary
Ten patients with closed head trauma and elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) ranging from 40–127 mm Hg were treated with intravenous dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) every 6 h for 1–10 days. Four patients received DMSO and intermittent oxygen.
All patients showed a reduction of ICP after 24 h and 7 had normal ICP after 6 days of treatment. Two patients died of their injuries.
Neurological assessment at the time of discharge showed 2 patients with severe neurological deficits and 6 patients with mild to no deficit. After a 3 month follow-up, 1 patient remained severely impaired and 7 patients showed mild to no deficit.
It appears that intravenous DMSO can rapidly reduce elevated ICP in severe closed-head injury and that it improves neurological outcome.
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Karaca, M., Bilgin, U.Y., Akar, M. et al. Dimethly sulphoxide lowers ICP after closed head trauma. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 40, 113–114 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00315149
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00315149